Good luck getting todays Republicans to agree with this but that alone doesn't make this false. But President Reagan raised the debt ceiling something like six times, maybe eight times. And I believe every time he did that, he had a Republican Senate in divided Congress's between. House and Senate but to be completely truthful, President Reagan had rising debt and deficits. Throughout his Presidency one of the reasons why he raised taxes in 1983 and I believe in 1985 and 1986 as well. But then Senator Barack Obama in 2006 voted against President Bush's request to raise the debt ceiling. Arguing that the debt was way too high and that its time that the United States started paying its bills. Instead of shifting the costs of government over to future generations. One of the differences between being President of the United States and serving in Congress especially as a freshmen. Where your responsibility is a lot less and you can say things that you can get away with until you obtain more responsibility either in. Congress or move up to the Executive Branch and actually have to run something like an administration.
As far as the debt ceiling itself, I take our current national debt and deficits very seriously. They are the biggest problems along with a sluggish economy and high unemployment and rising poverty that we face in this country. And there are responsible Republicans and Democrats who believe the same thing, along with members of the military. That see the debt and deficit as threats to our national security because of leverage that other countries. Can hold over us which is why I'm not in favor of just raising the debt ceiling unconditionally. Or what the White House calls a clean raise of the debt ceiling. That we have a huge debt and deficit that aren't sustainable without doing serious damage to our economy and that these things have. To be addressed along with more economic and job growth and new assistance for people in poverty in the areas. Of education, job training and job placement so we can bring down our unemployment and poverty levels.
Which is why I'm in favor of tying deficit reduction to raising the debt ceiling but doing it in a way. That doesn't hurt people who need whatever assistance they are getting. Like seniors, low income people, veterans and so fourth that absolutely have to have that assistance. That we are overcommitted as a Federal Government in other areas and have to make savings there. While we do raise the debt ceiling, as well as passing policies that will lead to better. Economic and job growth which will also help us bring down our national debt and deficit.
